When people like Anna want to take our online grant writing course, we have to ask, “Are you sure?” She already has a proven track record writing winning grants!
How Anna Won Millions in Grant Funding
But like us, Anna was a self-taught grant writer. She didn’t feel that she had optimized her processes and wanted to be fresh on the latest trends in grant writing.
With that in mind, Anna joined Grant Writing: From Start to Funded. She has secured $2.1+ million in grants in the six months since taking our grant writing program.
Here’s the breakdown of her wins:
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Community Development Block Grant for $800,000 to fund a Tribal Elder’s Wellness Center.
- She used that grant to leverage another $100,000 of in-kind donated time from the North Pacific Rim Housing Authority!
- She won a $720,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant last September and was then pre-approved an additional $400,000 for her excellent management and use of funds.
- The Bureau of Indian Affairs awarded the Valdez Native Tribe a $10,000 grant for training and travel expenses for resiliency.
- She is now waiting to hear back on a $65,000 grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior to preserve artifacts.
Last we checked in with Anna, she was in crunch mode on a complex National Endowment for the Humanities grant. She said she was in “the freaking out phase,” but if her track record is any indication, Anna will pull it off. We also connected her with a student looking to build her portfolio to help with last minute editing.
As she said in the interview, Anna found it so reassuring to know that “there are other people out there that speak the same lingo!” She’s referring to our private community group of grant writers.
Grant writing can be lonely when you’re doing it all by yourself. It’s invaluable to have others to collaborate with and bounce ideas off. .
Overcoming ‘Bad’ Data
To overcome eligibility issues with the Indian Community Development Block Grant, Anna had to be sure and focus on funding for tribal elders, as seniors are automatically considered an eligible group. The nuances of eligibility can be complex! Spend time confirming you are both eligible as an applicant and based on the specifics of your project.
Why Managing a Grant Perfectly Is Key!
The U.S. Department of Justice had extra funding. Because of Anna’s excellent grant administration skills, she was invited to apply for it. She was able to extend a three-year project to five years with an additional $400,000.
Anna said, “We think we’re successful because we’re finding grants for exactly what we need.”
On What She Learned From Grant Writing: From Start to Funded
Anna said that when she wrote grants for her farm in Nevada, they were smaller and manageable for her to do alone. When she moved into a larger organization, she had a team around her that she would rely on for certain inputs like the budget.
She said, “Your course made it so I could do grant writing by myself. It polished all those steps...for instance the budgeting. It’s all great and fine to write the narrative, but you need to write it based on the budget...Now that I develop the budget first, the narrative is a breeze!”
“The other thing I liked that you taught me was to just write.” What Anna is referencing there is about our tips on how to crank out your first draft of the grant narrative as fast as possible! It seems like we have all been told to write freely and then go back to edit, but it can be hard to do that in practice. It can be the reminder tips like that go an extra-long way as you perfect your writing habits.
If you want to catch more of Anna’s interview, be sure to listen to it here.
Want To Be A Grant Writing Unicorn Too?
Who doesn’t want to grow up and be Anna?! She is an impressive leader, having a bigger impact on her community than she might realize. You can have a similar impact and career.
Check out our free webinar workshop to learn common traits of successful grant writers and the career options available to you.
Is Grant Writing For You?
If you are looking for a career change and interested in grant writing consulting, check out this training on how to get started. Build a flexible life you love!
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